Talks of 4-0 whitewash after Adelaide defeat, Virat Kohli’s departure in Australia was hurtful: R Ashwin

Speaking to India Today Consulting Editor Rajdeep Sardesai, India's premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recalled how India managed to bounce back from the defeat in Adelaide and went on to win the Test series 2-1 in Australia earlier this year.

India's premier off-spinner R Ashwin said that talks of 4-0 whitewash after Virat Kohli's departure post the Adelaide debacle in the Border-Gavaskar series were hurtful. Ashwin, while speaking to India Today's Consulting Editor Rajdeep Sardesai, pointed out that players who had played 60, 70 and 80 Tests were sitting inside the dressing room and dealing with people saying that the team literally didn't exist beyond that first Test. R Ashwin played a major role in helping India bounce back from the defeat in Adelaide and win the Test series Down Under 2-1. But as Ashwin points out, quite a few, especially the Australian media and a section of former Australia cricketers, had written off India's chance after they were bowled out for 36 in the first Test. Virat Kohli had to leave the team after the first Test on paternity leave and Ashwin conceded that he himself had wondered how they will handle the departure of India's 'talisman and premier batsman' after the big defeat.